Depression is called "an invisible illness" but the brain is eager to help.

 

Depression is called an "invisible illness" but the brain is eager to help.

Falling victim to an emotional disorder can be devastating, but an illness that begins with a brain malfunction can disappear with retraining the brain. If the brain has been sensitized to negativity, especially in childhood, with one traumatic event the emotional system can become overwhelmed, and this can lead to the onset of an emotional disorder like PTSD or depression. Depression can leave a person vulnerable to PTSD or untreated PTSD can lead to depression, but more than 40 percent of the time, PTSD already co-exists with depression. The depressive disorder and the anxiety disorder share similar symptoms. Left untreated, these emotional disorders can have devastating effects.

 

Left untreated, symptoms of depression and PTSD can last a few months or many years.The symptoms can also disappear and recur. Depression is called "an invisible illness" because its symptoms are confusing or hidden. Yet, it is important to know and address the symptoms--incessant negative thinking, sadness, loss of pleasure, desires for isolation, changes in weight or unexplained agitation that last for two weeks or more. 

 

Once the symptoms are recognized, some type of intervention is necessary. Treatment can be provided by a licensed mental health professional or through self-help therapies, but symptoms of an emotional disorder do not disappear on their own. Some type of intervention that involves "talk therapy" expressing emotions verbally or through writing must take place. The first step to intervention, however, is knowing the symptoms.

 

With depression, the emotional system becomes overwhelmed. In order to protect us, the brain malfunctions and forces us to slow down. Problem-solving is diminished, sadness is overwhelming, and negative thoughts are incessant. We want to isolate ourselves and figure it out, but without intervention, we remain vulnerable to incessant negative thoughts that cannot be stopped or managed. As the negative thoughts flow, negative reactions happen, and suddenly we begin to feel there is no way out. 

 

If you feel depressed, it is important to keep track of negative thoughts by writing them down. If they last for more than two weeks, depression is probably the culprit sabotaging your happiness. NEGATIVE THINKING IS THE DEPRESSION TALKING. 

 

Stopping the negative thoughts is the first step to regaining your happiness. Some individuals require medication to stop their negative thoughts but others can stop them on their own. This can be done by listening to the thoughts in your mind and arguing against them. It includes strengthening supportive networks and having someone to talk to who understands.

 

To retrain the brain, challenging or refuting negative thoughts thoughts and replacing negative assessments with positive options must become a ritual, not just once a day but EVERY TIME, every moment of the day until the brain accepts the new training. Eventually, the brain will be retrained to select positive thoughts rather than negative assessments of self and others. 

 

The brain is designed to keep us feeling safe and content, and it is eager to please. Even if a brain has been sensitized toward negativity since childhood, it can be trained to think positive thoughts, and that is something to be grateful for. People who are depressed need to hold on to what mental health professionals know: The brain can be retrained. With practice, patience and persistence, negative thoughts will disappear. After a while, accepting negative thoughts will not be an option because the brain will not select them. Yes, one day, you will reach for what your depressed mind has been accustomed to and find absolutely nothing, and for once in a long while you will genuinely smile. Imagine that.*

*Content from chapter of an untitled book (c) M.D. Johnson (2014)